- Take your child to Toys R Us so that you can get ideas for Christmas and birthday (which are within a week of one another for Livers). Show child a pretend guitar that plays music, a toy which child is guaranteed to like and want. Then take toy away from child, put it back on the shelf, and tell her that we're not getting it today but maybe in three months for Christmas. RESULT: Child will throw her first real temper tantrum in a (quiet) store, loud enough to likely be heard throughout the building. She will cry big fat crocodile tears, turn very red in the face, try to climb out of the buggy, and look up to you saying "Hold you, Mama!" I'm brilliant.
- Go to Sam's and give your child a balloon, all the while cringing because (A) popping balloons scare the bejesus out of you, and (B) child is holding balloon with her fingernails. Put child and balloon in the back of the car, making sure balloon is unreachable by child. Get child out of car at restaurant. Get balloon out of car at restaurant because you can no longer stand the possibility of child popping it in cramped quarters without warning. Tell child to say bye-bye to balloon and then let it go. Watch child roll out bottom lip and cry, with outstretched arms, "Balloon!" Hear cries turn to shrieking screams.
* * * * * *
In totally unrelated business, if any of you knows anything about digital scrapbooking, holla. I'm interested in starting it, and I'd like opinions. I've tried Scrap Blog, but I think it might be a little too basic for my needs.
Posts
112 comments:
Yeah, I've done both of those things too. What are we thinking in the toy store? It's like WE'RE all excited about the toys and have to show it to them, pump them up about how great they are, then put them back. WHAT are we thinking?
Check out Daily Dwelling (on my blog list) and Loonyhiker (http://loonyhiker.blogspot.com/). They are both into digital scrapbooking and may have some suggestions.
And I think we have all done similar things to make our children unhappy. I used to refuse to let my children have the ballons which led to the fits and the "sympathetic" looks from the store/restaurant people.
you are funny! Balloons are BANNED in our house, our car - whereever - just trouble!!!
Nothing about digital scrappin - I prefer doing it all by hand! sorry!
OMG you poor thing! I am with you on the whole baloon popping thing. It is terrible!
I was thinking about getting into it myself...please do post any pointers if you find or get them.
Parenting is trial and error...but probably mostly a lot of error! ;-P
Totally taking notes since my baby isn't to that stage yet! I'll never look at balloons the same way. lol
Congrats on being SAUCY today at SITS!!!!
I think we've all done that at some point. In fact we did the Toys R Us thing just this weekend. I left with a crying toddler and pouting son.
Things like these just make up for the pains of labour and raising them. One day, when she is older, you will come to enjoy those moments.
Or maybe it's just me.
Is that wrong?
Does that make me a bad person?
Oh, and you aren't allowed to answer these questions until she is 14. Get back to me then.
lol
Oh, and my Olivia's birthday is the day after Christmas (Boxing Day here in Canada). It truly sucks.
Not dumb... situation 1: you were being a fabulous mother by thinking ahead for your child's welfare and fantastic bday anf Xmas. Hey, at least you know little bugger likes the guitar, 'you have great taste, mom!' Situation 2: At least you don't pop the balloon in front of your kid... that's like them witnessing a murder. 'You KILLED my balloon! You KILLED it!' yeah, first had experience. You are a wise mother for letting the balloon float off in the distance. As for the scrapbooking... I have no idea. So what did we learn? 1.)you are great at thinking ahead 2.)you are a peacemaker 'live and let live' mother 3.) Your digital scrapbooking experience has potential...
I love scrapartist.com and shabbyprincess.com for your digi-scrap needs.
I personally love the tinge of anxiety before a balloon will be popped, but probably not in cramped quarters. Funny story!
Congrats on being saucy!
I've just popped by from SITS. Sounds like parenting has infinite opportunities for embarrassment and tantrums.
Hi, came via SITS
The toy store one is familiar.. but letting the balloon go.... oh dear... cringe.. I can hear the screams from here.
But surely this is the reason for parenthood?? To torture and make miserable small children. Oh! Do I have that wrong??? Oops!
Well, at least you can console yourself with the fact that hers was far from the first tantrum ever thrown in Toys R Us! (I know, small comfort, but it's all I can think of to offer... :) )
My birthday is also less than 2 weeks before Christmas, so WOO to Livers for being a fellow Sag! :D (Cue music: It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.............)
Oh, and the first time my kiddo ever accidentally let go of a balloon and it soared off into the atmosphere, I said to her (observing the quickly filling eyes and trembling lower lip that heralded the oncoming meltdown) "Oh, Kiddo, that was SO VERY KIND of you to share your balloon with the birds! Kids don't share their balloons with birds that often and the birds are going to be SO, SO HAPPY now! I'm so proud of you for being KIND and SHARING!" She was so impressed with herself for being kind and sharing that she completely abandoned the tantrum, and sat there in her stroller smiling proudly and congratulating herself on her kind, sharing behavior.
Ever since then, whenever we've seen a balloon sailing off (ours or someone else's), Kiddo (who is now almost 5 and a half) will say "Oh look, Mommy, the birds are going to be so happy to have a balloon!" Erm, yes, exactly, you're so right, Kiddo...
Cheers!
There is a difference in dumb and survival mode. Aren't we so hard on ourselves? I know there are times when you just gotta do what you gotta do. And, the first born always gets your practicing on parenting!
Balloons in the car is the worst. Just how tense can you get? Crikey.
lol. You really took that poor child's balloon and let it go?! This I have not done, but I'm with you on the ToysRus thing.
Parenting is all about learning.
Yep, I've done the shopping thing. I still do it to my kids but at least they're old enough to get over it now. Then I have to try to sneak back without them and buy it sneakily.
Balloons became a No-No quickly when my kids were really little. I just didn't get them around them and if someone tried to give them one I would politely say "No thanks, their a choking hazard. Don't you know that?" It worked everytime.
Oh My!
I can so relate with the balloons. I had that happen two weekends ago at a family reunion. But my little one cant talk, so it was all crying. Thank goodness for glow sticks!
Congrats on being a featured blogger! We're in the south, too. :)
Sigh. Everyone scooch on over, I'm joining your club. I don't know of a mom who HASN'T done something similar to this!
Who hasn't done stuff like that with their kids? Whenever you expect them to act one way, they are sure to act differently. Unfortunately, they don't come with instruction booklets attached to their big toe. :)
Happy SITS day to ya! We have all been in the same boat. SOmetimes parenting can get the best of you :D
yeah, we've done it all. think i would've learned with the first one, nah, you just end up torturing them more! *sigh* what fun!
LOL poor mom! You tried!!
Um...yeah...probably not the best approach, lol.
Just when I thought I was figuring out how to be a good Mommy to my child she turned into a teen. I'm back at zero again.
I know I've learned my lesson. We stick to picking out toys from the catalogs, internet and tv now.
By the way, it sounds like we have a lot in common.I'm a southerner (GA) and used to teach high school too and have the same sentiments about trying to stay at home with the kids as long as I can.
Happy SITs day!
We all have to learn lessons the hard way sometimes. Especially as moms. lol Cute stories.
Okay, so now I need to know at what point in a child's life does it become torturous to be in Toys R Us and not get anything? I imagine I will learn that myself some day. :)
Happy SITS day! We all have those parenting moments:)
LOL...I've totally been there. In fact, I'm there once a day...at least! "There" is that place where you say..."why did I do that?", "why did I start this" as your child falls apart in front of you...ALWAYS IN PUBLIC! It's no fun if it's in the confines of your own home.
When my son was turning 4 this past summer, just before his birthday I took him to Toys R Us to get him to pick out the exact race track he'd wanted. So I gave him the pep talk before we went in about how we are JUST LOOKING and he smiled at me and nodded so knowingly..."Yes, Mama." I think there were birds tweeting and angels singing, he was so agreeable. Once we got in the speed racer section and he pointed out the item...all bets were off. We spent 15 min. of shear and utter torture for both of us. He, because he thought I was toying with his toy affections and me for being an idiot and believing I could dangle a carrot and not let him bite.
I firmly believe that when you decide you want to have kids, they should assign you a test child to work out all the kinks. :)
hahaha- omg- i'm laughing so hard- you poor thing!!! i think everyone has those moments!
Oh you poor thang! LOL! I hate to laugh at your pain but it happens to all of us.
Lindsay! You're supa star!!! I'm so excited for you and I hope today is just as overwhelming for you as my feature day was... it's wonderful!!!
And poor Livers. Shame on you mama. She'll get you back one day.
BEEN. THERE. Looks like you're in good company. :-)
Very funny! Lesson learned!
Ahh, the toy thing. I don't even have to try and pump the toys up, she grabs them herself and then gets extremely upset if we can't get them all right then (we can't... of course). You are insane for instigating such a tantrum! lol...
I don't know about the balloon thing. I have stayed away from that problem thus far, and hope to for at least a while more. My girl hasn't seemed that interested in them just yet (thank god!)
Have a great day!
I will remember this when we go shopping! Oh and I did something similar the other day. I was showing Moose little Christmas thingers that play music (O Holy Night, etc). Then I pushed stop and we walked away. He started crying and sat on the floor so we couldn't go any further. Yeah....at least he didn't scream like I thought he might.
So yeah, I think I"ve done that several times! LOL! Happy SITS day!
Oh girl your not dumb! We all do things like that as mom's!
I stay far far away from ToysRus. Target. Now that's another story. We have been learning patience lately with Christmas coming. But it's hard.
Enjoy your SITS day!
I'm nagivated those waters. Just this weekend I took my nice to a store and she saw something she loved but was too expensive for anything but Xmas. It's caused quite a scene.
We've all done it. I still feel guilty about some of the silly things I've done as a parent(like forget to strap my daughter in her stroller, so she ends up flipping out of it). But we learn as we go and become better parents for it.
Enjoy your SITS spotlight!
Oh, the sad baby tears are the worst. My kids (esp. my 1 year-old) LOVE balloons!
Try scrapgirls.com and designerdigitals.com. And good luck!
Happy SITS day!!!
These are hlarious stories!!
Happy SITS Day!!
Who ever thought balloons and children was a good combination?LOL
~Tidymom
LOL, who hasn't been there? Really not dumb, just the steps to becoming a great mom!
Ha! Isn't is so funny when we do something so unbelievable, there's nothing to do but smack yourself on the forehead and wonder what we were thinking.
And don't worry, I think these are universal parenting experiences :)
Happy SITS day!
Oh my too funny...will definetly remember this lesson! As for digiscraping, I suggest the program lumapix, it is really easy to use. They have 3 different programs and the most basic is only 34.00. I use photoshop cs3, but am thinking about going to lumapix because it is so user friendly!
I find myself able to be an absolute moron without children...i can't imagine what its going to be like when I have them!!
Aren't balloons scary?
Happy SITS day. And I keep my son away from balloons. Unless they are mylar. Love the mylar.
Hillarious! I've done the same thing in Toys R' Us...ugghhh! I've done a digital scrapbook on www.Shutterfly.com but it's pretty basic too. Nothing can take the place of the real thing (but digital is good to catch up or for a quick book).
Is there a club for mom's like us? There should be. Though, we'd all forget to bring the snacks and a diaper bag and then the baby would have a blowout and we wouldn't have any diapers or wipes and we'd have to leave right away anyway.
Great blog :-)
Happy SITS day! Great Blog. I've definitely done very similar things. :)
Oh man I have done both of those things. There should be a "Do Not Do This" book for new moms.
Haven't we all done those things (and more)??
Congrats on being featured today :)
Sweetie... I have bad news.
You will have many, many more days like that.
I swear... with each child I've had, I have lost a 1/3 of my brain.
Livers is adorable!
Congrats on being THE CHOSEN ONE!
May the force with you!
I'm not sure where my first comment went but I've definitely done the first one. You are too funny!:)
Holy crap...too funny. That's exactly how it is! Though six years later I stillll haven't learned my lesson with balloons. I force myself to have to look at one brought home, all drawn on with markers, day after day until it is shriveled up to the point of nothingness. Needless to say, I try to steer clear of free friggin balloons at grocery stores..but it doesn't always work! Great blog!
I'm starting a baloon therapy support group now. Imagine the business two decades from now - issues of loss, betrayal, abandonment. KIDDING. So sorry - and no worries, we've all had kiddos crying while Mr. Balloon goes off to Balloon heaven.
happy SITS day!
I have had the pleasure to partake in the whole go to the toy store and let my nephew play with the toy only to take it away! Sadly I did this right before his 2nd birthday! So yeah he had his vocabulary developing! Yeah i think it went," we have to wait til your birthday" he proceded to tell me he hated me and i wasnt his best friend anymore. kinda hurt. then he got all pouty and didnt talk to anyone for like an hour! best hour ever!!
Oh, balloons make ms jumpy! Especially when mixed with little fingernails...
Happy SITS day!
Sad... yeah, I've been there too. I guess, even as adults, sometimes we have to learn a lesson the hard way.
Happy SITS day!!
That certainlly won't be the last tantrum you "cause".... I promise :)
Been there and done that!!! It won't be the last time something you have done will cause a tantrum and as parents we all know that we continuily add to the vault of stupid. :-)
Congrats on being the featured blogger today!!!!
I think all of us have learned that lesson!
How funny! I think most of us "mommies" can relate. Just think, when my daughter and yours are in there teens we will be totally stupid. hehehe
Happy SITS day!!!!!!
Cheryl
Oh sweetie, I've been there so many times. Another fun thing to try is taking your 2-year old son in the bathroom stall with you, so he can ask detailed questions about your anatomy and announce to everyone in the store that you just pooped, and how bad it stunk. Good times.
HA, I wish I could have seen you in ToysRUs!!
oh, I am all about digital scrapbooking! I use Heritage Makers. they have free accounts, if you dont wanna pay for one. Ive made several books, and Ive been blogging about a secret project that I used Heritage Makers for, too. if you purchase a book credit up front, you get a free month of the paid account.
It's a miracle our first children survive without extensive therapy. They are the guinea pigs of our parenting experience. Live and learn lol
Happy SITS day!
You are too funny, girl! It's great to meet another Southern SITSta!
Hugs, Bebe :)
That is the last store I want to take my kids into. My son didn't use to have fits until he turned 4 and ever since then that is all he does in any toy department. Shopping with kids is never fun unless you are loading the cart with toys.
LOL! I resemble those remarks!
My daughter learned early that if anyone gave her a balloon we had to immediately go outside and send it back to balloon heaven. She loved writing a message to Jesus on them and sending them on their way without even an utterance or whimper.
I personally can't stand balloons, so the quicker they were on their way the better in my eyesight.
Happy SITS day!
Oh you poor thing...but as you can see from all the other comments, we've all done similar things! (Especially with the first child) Too bad those little angels don't come with an instruction manual, complete with toll=free number for emergency advise!
We're having the same problem with the Christmas gifts every time I go in a store with my 2yo. I HAVE learned not to take him toy shopping in advance, but somehow he sees toys anyway, darn it!
I admit I have been a bit lucky with the whole balloon experience. My son actually loved the letting go part just as we got to the car. We did it for a long time.
Haha, that is sooo funny... although I think all of us parents have tortured our kids just like that!!! My daughter has definitely been allowed to play with toys in the store, just to have them ripped from her fingers! Aren't we the best parents ever!!!!! :)
~Tabitha~
It's amazing what you learn as a parent through trial and error. And at that age...you can go ahead and buy the Christmas gift. Put it away and wrap it up. I remember being able to Christmas shop with my kids right with me. Yeah. Those days are long gone.
.....taking notes for the future....no Toy R Us....or any toy store...no balloons.....
Ok check I think that I have those down ;)
Happy SITS day!!!!!
We've all been in those types of situations. Wouldn't parenting be boring without them?!?! You never know what the reaction from a toddler is going to be.
I have thought about getting into digital scrapbooking, but I love to go to the store for new supplies too much. I do think it would be nice to do, so that I can send some pages to friends and family though.
Know exactly how you feel!! I've gotten really good at fast distractions!!!!
I just started using PhotoShop for the first time. It's an awesome digi-scrapbooking program. I just got to find the time to so it is all!
The sad thing is that you will do things like that again when you are a Gigi (grandmother) just as unthinkingly.
Good news is they still love you the best. ;)
You live & learn- at least we hope so :-)
Happy SITS day! I've had those kind of parenting days too...it happens!
I could see myself doing the same thing if I had kids!
HAPPY SITS DAY! LOL Sounds like how my youngest reacts. As for the digitl scrapbooking, I've been using scrapblog.com and LOVE IT, but eventually I'll want to move up to Adobe PE6(photoshop elements 6) Andrea has some really NICE insight or you can check her out over at MOMDOT.com.
Hahaha! Poor little thing.
Hey, you know what I did? The restaurant gave my son a balloon on his birthday, and it was a hot day so I opened the sun roof. The next thing I know, the balloon was missing. I can't imagine where it went!
Hey!
Congrats on being the SITS featured blogger! Great job!!
I really enjoyed this post and can relate in some many ways.
Have a good evening!
i love this! i may have to steal (borrow) this platform for a post! Actually I think I'm gonna make you my shout-out for Wednesday. This totally cracked me up!!!
This is too funny! I told my kids LONG AGO that balloons were for borrowing and not for keeping. We never take them in the car because I will have a complete heart attack if it pops there!
Happy SITS day!
If that's dummy parenting, then I think we've all been there! I can't tell you how many weird things I've bought because my little guy fell in love with it- toothbrushes, ladies socks, you name it! Happy SITS Day!
Believe me, we all have those moments of good ideas that don't turn out so well.
My son has Christmas and a birthday all in one week too. It IS hard to come up with ideas for both.
Yes, I have also been guilty of dummy parenting at one time or another. I actually accidently ran over my son with the stroller one time. He was about six months old and I'm sure he's still traumatized. I make sure to put a little bit of extra cash into an account every month for his therapy sessions later on in life.
We all have our moments of dumb parenting, it's not anything that therapy won't fix at some point down the road. Congrats on being the SITS blog of the day!
Oh you're so not alone on these. Mister Man is still so traumatized by balloons that at 5 he won't touch them. That's always fun to explain to people.
Oh I have so been there! We actually did the toy trial a TRU on the weekend, that went well. In a tempertantrum-end-of-the-world kind of way ;)
Been there, done that...got the Tshirt - it's one of the perks of being a mom...
Congrats on being SITS blog of the day
Ah, the blessed joys of motherhood . . . LOL.
We've all been there! And there is a Toys R Us almost across the street from where we go to church, so we pass it several times a week!
As long as you didn't do them both on the same day, I think you are okay!
Been there. And it never fails, every visit at Target I end up cruising the toy aisles, just to say "no, maybe for Christmas..." What is wrong with me.
I even hate walking into stores that blow up balloons for fear of them popping. It makes my spine curl!
this is awesome! Not for you so much, but me! =)
You're not dumb. You're a mom.
Toys stores cause a temporary leave of sanity, don'tcha know?
AS a first time mom myself, I can totally relate to this. Just remember motherhood is a learning experience.
I use Creating Keepsakes Scrapbook Designer Platinum. It is easy to use, and you can upload internet kits directly into it. It is also cheap, around $10-15 on amazon.
But sometimes I do that kind of stuff just to make mine cry. She is so cute with her sad face. Am I evil?
Sounds like things I might do. Good thing you warned me! (I don't have kids yet)
Sounds like one of my stupid moves. Here look at this toy, do you like it? Let them play with it until its time to leave the store and then have a wrestling match with a screaming child...
Post a Comment